Improvement in pipe-wrenches



1. B. WESTWICKQ Pip'e Wrenches. N0.'l5l,639, Pate'nted lune 2.1874.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFI JAMES B. WESTWIOK, OF GALENA, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR OF PART INTEREST TO J. P. HOFFMAN, JOSEPH METZGN, AND J. DANIELHOFFMAN, OF

SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlPE-WRENCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,639, dated June 2,1874; application filed February 14, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JAMES B. Wnsrwren, of Galena, in the county of JoDaviess and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuableImprovement in Pipe -Wrenches and I 'do hereby declare that thefollowingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawingsmaking a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a representation of a side View of my wrench.Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a pipe-wrench of simpleconstruction,whioh will automatically adapt its serrated bearings to thesurface of pipes of different sizes; and it consists in the constructionand novel arrangement, in connection with a single lever having a bentbifurcated end, of a short pivoted jaw seated in said bifurcated end,and a long adjustable pivoted arm provided with a jaw turned in theopposite direction, both said jaws being V-shaped and serrated on eachside, forming four bearings for the pipe, every one-of which comesautomatically into position to bite when the wrench is applied, ashereinafter more fully described.

The following is a description of my improvement:

In the annexed drawing, A designates the handle or lever of the wrench,one end of which is curved and bifurcated, as shown at a, and receives ajaw, B, having angular and serrated griping-surfaces, as shown inFig. 1. O designates another griping-j aw, which is opposed to the jawB, and which presents angular serrated griping-edges like this jaw B.

Jaw G is formed on the curved end of a bifurcated shank, c, whichreceives, between its bifurcations, the lever A, and is connected tothis lever by a pivot-bolt, d. There are several holes through the shankof jaw O for receiving the bolt d, and allowing this jaw to be adjustedfor pipes varying eonsiderabl yin their diameters.

When the jaws B O are adjusted upon a pipe, and the lever A is moved ina direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the jaws willautomatically adjust themselves and firmly gripe the pipe, and with aforce which will increase as the resistance increases.

The jaw B, having the double angular inclined bearing-surfaces, andpivoted to the handle at b, will readily conform to the shape and sizeof the pipe, and at the same time firmly gripe it between the angularjaws in an automatic manner.

The wrench herein described may be used to advantage for screwing up andunscrewing nuts.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The pipe-wrench herein described, consisting of the handle-leverA and,pivoted thereto,

the short V-shaped jaw B, and the long adj ustable V-shaped jaw C, saidjaws being each serrated on each side, and adapted to automaticallyadjust the four bearings thus formed to the work, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence

